NDIS Physiotherapy and Therapeutic Supports in Melboourne

Physiotherapy under the NDIS focuses on function: moving more safely, maintaining strength and range of movement, managing pain, and reducing the risk of falls and secondary complications. The goal is what you can do in daily life, not treatment for its own sake.

What physiotherapy can address

• Mobility — walking, standing, balance, transfers and stairs
• Strength and endurance, including programs you can continue between sessions
• Maintaining joint range of movement and managing contracture risk
• Falls risk assessment and prevention
• Pain management strategies for chronic musculoskeletal pain
• Respiratory physiotherapy where a condition affects breathing or secretion clearance
• Assessment for and prescription of mobility equipment
• Training for your support workers in safe manual handling and in carrying out your program correctly

Therapy at home

Seeing a physiotherapist in your own home has practical advantages. Your program is built around the actual surfaces, doorways, furniture and steps you use every day, rather than a clinic environment you then have to translate. Equipment can be assessed where it will be used. And for people for whom travel is itself difficult or exhausting, it removes the barrier that stops therapy happening at all.

Working with your other supports

Physiotherapy works best when it does not sit in isolation. A mobility program is only as good as its consistency, which means your support workers need to understand it. Where you agree, your physiotherapist can train the workers who assist you, so the same approach is used every day rather than once a fortnight.

How it is funded

Therapeutic supports are generally funded from the Capacity Building budget, under Improved Daily Living Skills. Capacity Building funding is tied to the category it is allocated to, so unlike Core it cannot be redirected to other kinds of support. Your plan will show how many hours of therapy are funded.

Common questions

Do I need a referral?
Not for NDIS-funded physiotherapy. What you need is therapy funding in your plan. A GP referral may still be useful for clinical background.

How many sessions will I need?
That depends on your goals. Some people have a short block of sessions to establish a program they then continue independently. Others need ongoing review where a condition is progressive or fluctuating.

Can physiotherapy help with equipment applications?
Yes. Assessment and reporting for assistive technology is a normal part of the role, often alongside an occupational therapist.